Electrooculographical control for a mobile device

ABSTRACT

A device and computer-readable media are provided for controlling a mobile device by eye movement. Namely, embodiments of the present invention rely on electrooculographical and blink-sensing techniques to detect eye movement, where the eye movement can indicate that a user wishes to perform an action on a mobile device. The mobile device may be a cell phone, a portable digital assistant, or some other communications device. This invention is primarily directed for use by people who have physical impairments preventing them from operating mobile devices in a traditional way.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention are defined by the claims below, not thissummary. A high-level overview of embodiments of the invention areprovided here for that reason, to provide an overview of the disclosure.

In a first aspect, an electrooculographical control device for operatinga mobile device using eye movement is provided. The device comprises aplurality of electrooculographical sensors that, when positioned aroundan eye, detect eye movement, wherein said eye movement indicates adesired action to be performed on said mobile device; a first processor,coupled to said sensors, that encodes said eye movement into a set ofsignals; a transmitter that is operable to communicate said set ofsignals; and a receiver that receives said set of signals and thatconverts them into commands for controlling said mobile device.

In a second aspect, computer-readable media for performing a method ofcontrolling a mobile device by eye movement are provided, the methodcomprising: detecting said eye movement, wherein said eye movementindicates a desired action to be performed by said mobile device;converting said eye movement into a set of signals; communicating saidset of signals to a receiver; receiving said set of signals andconverting them into a set of mobile-device commands; and communicatingsaid set of mobile device commands to said mobile device.

In a third aspect, computer-readable media having computer-useableinstructions embodied thereon for performing a method of controlling amobile device by eye movement is provided, the method comprising:presenting a display that indicates a current state of said mobiledevice; receiving a set of signals from a plurality ofelectrooculographical sensors, wherein said set of signals represents auser's eye movement, which indicates a desired action to be performed bysaid mobile device; generating input commands, which implement saidaction based on said set of signals; communicating said input commandsto said mobile device; receiving an acknowledgement from said mobiledevice indicating that said desired action was performed; and updatingsaid display that indicates that said mobile device performed saidaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described indetail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which areincorporated by reference herein and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an eye with a plurality of electrooculographical sensorspositioned on the skin around it as to measure its corneo-fundalpotential;

FIG. 2 depicts a cross section of an eye showing the corneo-fundalpotential;

FIG. 3A depicts an embodiment of a component of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3B depicts another embodiment of a component of an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3C depicts yet another embodiment of a component of an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4A depicts an embodiment of the present invention where a mobiledevice is controlled by eye movement;

FIG. 4B depicts a more detailed diagram of specific components of theembodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A depicts another embodiment of the present invention where amobile device is controlled by eye movement;

FIG. 5B depicts a more detailed diagram of specific components of theembodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the present invention where certaincomponents of the present invention are mounted onto a wheelchair;

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram for a method of controlling a mobiledevice using eye movement; and

FIG. 8A depicts a diagram for a method of controlling a mobile deviceusing eye movement used by the computer-readable media of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8B depicts yet another diagram for a method of controlling a mobiledevice using eye movement used by the computer-readable media of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 9 depicts a flow diagram for a method of initializing the device ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a device andcomputer-readable media for controlling a mobile device using eyemovement. Namely, this invention relies on electrooculographical (“EOG”)and blink-sensing techniques to detect eye movement, where the eyemovement can indicate that a user wishes to perform an action on amobile device. This invention is primarily directed for use by peoplewho have physical impairments preventing them from operating mobiledevices in a traditional way.

The subject matter of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.Rather, the inventor has contemplated that the claimed subject mattermight also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps orcombinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, inconjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover,although the terms “step” and/or “block” may be used herein to connotedifferent components of methods employed, the terms should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order among or between varioussteps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individualsteps is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as, among otherthings: a method, device, or computer-program product. Accordingly, theembodiments may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a softwareembodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. In oneembodiment, the present invention takes the form of a computer-programproduct that includes computer-useable instructions embodied on one ormore computer-readable media.

Computer-readable media include both volatile and nonvolatile media,removable and nonremovable media, and contemplates media readable by adatabase, a switch, and various other network devices. By way ofexample, and not limitation, computer-readable media comprise mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storing information.Examples of stored information include computer-useable instructions,data structures, program modules, and other data representations. Mediaexamples include, but are not limited to information-delivery media,RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM,digital versatile discs (DVD), holographic media or other optical discstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, andother magnetic storage devices. These technologies can store datamomentarily, temporarily, or permanently.

EOG is a technique for measuring eye movement that utilizes the naturalelectric potential between the front and back of the eye. This potentialis often referred to as the corneo-fundal potential. The corneo-fundalpotential is caused by the front of the eye being electrically positivecompared to the back. Therefore when two electrodes are placed on theskin on either side of the eye, the potential difference measuredbetween the two electrodes will change as the eye moves. The movement ofthe pupil can be derived from this potential difference, thus enablingone skilled in the art to track the eye movement.

FIG. 1 illustrates the general principle of EOG technology. Eye 102 isshown with two pairs of electrodes 104 and 106, and 108 and 110 placedon the skin around it. In the horizontal pair, electrode 104 is placedin an interior position and electrode 106 is placed in an exteriorposition relative to the eye. This pair of electrodes measures thehorizontal movement of the eye as shown by arrow 112. In the verticalpair, electrode 108 is placed in a superior position and electrode 110is placed in an inferior position relative to the eye. This pair ofelectrodes measures the vertical movement of the eye as shown by arrow114. While two pairs of electrodes are shown, more or less pairs may beused depending on the desired level of precision. Note that eachelectrode should be placed in a position approximately 180 degrees fromits partner in order to achieve maximal accuracy. Hereinafter, an EOGsensor will refer to a single pair of electrodes.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross section of eye 202 showing the corneo-fundalpotential 204 between the front 206 and back 208 of the eye. The frontof the eye (the pupil) 204 is shown having an electric charge of 30 mVwhile the back of the eye 208 has a charge of 10 mV. These values aregiven for illustrative purposes only.

In order to utilize EOG techniques to detect eye movement, the presentinvention must incorporate EOG sensors to track eye movement accurately.In one embodiment, eyewear is used to incorporate the EOG sensors. FIG.3A depicts a front view of eyewear 302 used for an embodiment of thepresent invention, and FIG. 3B depicts a back view of eyewear 302. Theeyewear is depicted containing a wire 304 connecting superior electrode306, interior electrode 308, inferior electrode 310, exterior electrode312, and a blink sensor 314. The electrodes are placed so that when theeyewear is worn by a user, the electrodes will come into contact withthe user's skin. In an alternate embodiment, electrodes are placedaround both eyes. Note that the blink sensor 314 may be mechanical,optical, or any other type of blink sensor known in the art.

FIG. 3C depicts an alternate embodiment of eyewear 302 where wire 304;electrodes 306, 308, 310, and 312; and blink sensor 314 are contained inclip-on frame 316. In this embodiment, any eyewear may be used, whicheliminates the need for the user to purchase separate eyewear. Thisembodiment may be particularly useful to users who already requireeyewear for vision correction. As with the previous embodiment, thisembodiment need not have electrodes around both eyes.

FIG. 4A depicts an embodiment of the present invention. Eyewear 402,which is assumed to be similar to the eyewear 302 as depicted in FIGS.3A-C, is connected by a wire 404 to an EOG processor 406. The EOGprocessor receives corneo-fundal voltage readings and blink indicationsfrom the EOG sensors and blink sensor contained in eyewear 402 andencodes the voltages and blink indications into a set of signals. TheEOG processor contains a transmitter 408 that communicates the encodedsignals. Transmitter 408 may be capable of near-field or far-fieldcommunications, and it may be one of a variety of different types ofwireless transmitters as known in the art. For instance, transmitter 408may be a Bluetooth™ transmitter. Receiver 410 is connected to a hostcomputer 412 and is operable to receive the set of signals communicatedby transmitter 408. Receiver 410 may be a variety of different types ofwireless receivers. In one embodiment receiver 410 is a Bluetooth™receiver.

Host computer 412 converts the set of signals into commands forcontrolling mobile device 414. The host computer and the mobile deviceare connected by a USB cable 416. Note that while a USB cable is shown,the host computer and mobile device may be connected in a variety ofways including wirelessly via Bluetooth™.

Mobile device 414 could be a cell phone, a PDA, or some othercommunications device. In general, mobile device 414 includes a userinterface, a wireless communications interface, a processor, and a datastorage component in one embodiment. The user interface may includebuttons, a touch screen, a microprocessor, or other elements. Thewireless communication interface may comprise an antenna and a chipsetfor communicating with a wireless telecommunications network. Theprocessor and data storage component may be any suitable component knownto those of skill in the art. Mobile device 414 also includes acomputer-readable media with computer-readable instructions embodiedthereon that perform methods that include interacting with host computer412. The computer-readable media may provide a number of functions forinteracting with the host computer including functions for receivinginput commands from the host computer, alerting the host computer whenthe state of the mobile device changes, sending a list of availablemobile device commands to the host computer, etc.

The state of the mobile device includes any processes that are beingexecuted by the mobile device at a current point in time. Theseprocesses could result in updating the display of the mobile device,limiting the number of mobile device commands available to the user, oraltering data that is stored on the mobile device. The computer-readableinstructions may vary depending on the type of mobile device they areembodied on and its capabilities. The computer-readable media is furtherexplained in the discussion relating to FIG. 4B.

Host computer 412 contains computer-readable media withcomputer-readable instructions embodied thereon that perform methods forinteracting with mobile device 414 and presenting on its display 418 anEOG control application window 420, which presents the current state ofthe mobile device. The computer-readable instructions may vary dependingon the type of host computer and mobile device used and may be installedon any type of computer to which the user has access. Thecomputer-readable media residing on the host computer is furtherexplained in the discussion relating to FIG. 4B.

In one embodiment, the EOG control application window 420 presents agraphical depiction of mobile device 414 including physical componentssuch as the keypad 422, a depiction of the information depicted on themobile device's display 424, as well as any other buttons that allow forinteractions with the mobile device or configurations of the EOG controlapplication 426. Pointer 428 provides the same functionality as anordinary computer mouse pointer except that its movement corresponds tothe user's eye movement and is used as a reference point to indicatewhere the user is looking in the EOG control application window. Forinstance if the user's eye moves to the left, then the pointer will moveto the left of the EOG control application window. The pointer alsoincludes click functionality similar to that of a computer mouse. Theclick functionality may be implemented in a variety of ways. In anexemplary embodiment, a user blink corresponds to a pointer click.

FIG. 4B depicts a more detailed view of components present within thisembodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that thisand other arrangements described herein are set forth only as examples.Other arrangements and elements (e.g., machines, interfaces, functions,orders, and groupings of functions, etc.) can be used in addition to orinstead of those shown, and some elements may be omitted altogether.Further, many of the elements described herein are functional entitiesthat may be implemented as discrete or distributed components or inconjunction with other components, and in any suitable combination andlocation. Various functions described herein as being performed by oneor more entities may be carried out by hardware, firmware, and/orsoftware. For instance, various functions may be carried out by aprocessor executing instructions stored in memory.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the sensor processor 406 contains a signalgenerator 430 that takes the voltage readings and blink indicationsgiven by the EOG and blink sensor array and encodes them into a set ofsignals. The set of signals is sent to a host interface 432. In oneembodiment, this set of signals is also stored in a data component 434,which may be any suitable data storage component as known in the art.The host interface interacts 436 with the host computer 412. Thisinteraction may include the sending and receiving of data. In additionto sending the generated set of signals, the host interface may alsosend error messages, status updates, or other relevant types ofinformation to the host computer. The host interface may also receiveacknowledgments of executed actions and other information from the hostcomputer.

Host computer 412 contains an EOG control application 438 which in turncontains a sensor processor interface 440, a signal interpreter 442, aninput command generator 444, and a mobile device interface 446. Thesensor processor interface 440 interacts 436 with the host interface 432of the sensor processor 406. Additionally, the sensor processorinterface receives signals generated by the sensor processor, errormessages, and may send acknowledgments of executed activities. The hostcomputer may also store received sets of signals in a data storagecomponent 448, which may be any suitable data storage component as knownin the art. The signal interpreter 442 takes the received signals andinterprets them as either eye movement or blink indications. Eyemovement activity will correspond to moving the pointer 428 in a mannerconsistent with the eye movement signals in the EOG control applicationwindow 420. The signal interpreter sends updated pointer locations tothe EOG control application window 420.

Blink indications correspond to the user clicking on a particularcomponent present in the EOG control application window. Referring backto FIG. 4A for instance, if the pointer 428 is hovering over a button ofmenu bar 426, then the user may blink to simulate a click of the button.When the click selects an option corresponding to an operation to beperformed on mobile device 414, the signal interpreter sends theappropriate information to the input command generator 444. Clickactivity could also correspond to the user desiring a change in settingsfor the EOG control application, in which case the signal interpreterimplements these changes accordingly, sending updates to the displaywindow interface 450 if necessary. The display window interface is thepart of the host computer that controls the host computer display.

The input command generator 444 receives information from the signalinterpreter when a particular action is to be performed on the mobiledevice. The input command generator generates the appropriate inputcommand for the mobile device. This may be accomplished by referencing aset of input commands available for the mobile device stored in datastorage component 448, for instance. Once the input commands aregenerated, they are sent to the mobile device interface 446, whichcommunicates 452 them to the mobile device 414. The generated inputcommands may also be stored on data storage component 448.

Mobile device 414 contains its own EOG control application 454, whichhas a host interface 456, a command implementer 458, and a statedetector 460. The host interface 456 handles all communications betweenthe host computer and the mobile device including receiving inputcommands and sending information indicative of the mobile device'sstate.

The command implementer 458 receives input commands from the hostinterface and implements the command. Depending on the input command,this might include accessing or updating data stored on a data storagecomponent 462, updating the mobile device display 464, or initiating orending the mobile device processes 466. Examples of mobile deviceprocesses include incoming or ongoing calls, accessing voicemail, or anyother process that a mobile device might engage in. The state detector460 monitors the state of the mobile device and generates state updateinformation to be sent to the host computer whenever the state changes.The state update information could include changes in running processes,changes in the commands available to the user, changes in the mobiledevice display, and any other change in state that the mobile devicemight experience. This state update information is sent to the hostinterface, which communicates it to the host computer in interaction452.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention isoperational with a variety of additional general purpose or specialpurpose computing systems, environments, and/or configurations. Examplesof well-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurationsthat may be suitable for use with the present invention include, but arenot limited to, personal computers, server computers, handheld or laptopdevices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems,programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframecomputers, and the like. The invention also may be practiced indistributed computing environments wherein tasks are performed by remoteprocessing devices that are linked through a communications network. Ina distributed computing environment, program modules may be located inboth local and remote computer storage media including memory storagedevices.

FIG. 5A is an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherecomponents 502-508 are identical to components 402-408 in FIG. 4.Receiver 510 is connected to mobile device 512. Receiver 510 may be anytype of wireless receiver including a Bluetooth™ receiver. Mobile device512 is similar to mobile device 414 in FIG. 4, except that thecomputer-readable media in mobile device 512 contains computer-readableinstructions for methods of enabling a user to control the mobile deviceusing eye movement. Therefore, this embodiment of the present inventionoperates without a host computer. The computer-readable media is furtherdiscussed in FIG. 5B.

Mobile device display 514 presents an application window 516, which issimilar in function to application window 420. Application window 516contains the typical mobile device display 518, which displays theinformation typically displayed by the mobile device. In thisembodiment, the mobile device is in a state where the time 520, batterylevel 528, voicemail indication 522, signal strength 524, and a phonenumber entered by the user 526 are shown. Menu bar 530 allows the userto interact with the mobile device via pointer 540, which is identicalin its functionality and operation to pointer 428 in FIG. 4. The optionsavailable in menu bar 530 will vary depending on the functionality ofmobile device 512. In this embodiment, the menu bar displays a talkbutton 532, which allows a user to start a process such as a phone call;a show keys button 534, which when selected by pointer 540, displays akeypad that allows the user to input data via the pointer (keypad notshown); a menu button 536, which allows the user to see the mobiledevice's menu functions; and an end button 538, which allows a user toend a process such as a phone call. The aforementioned menu bar optionswill vary depending on the type of mobile device 512 and are given herefor illustrative purposes only.

FIG. 5B depicts a more detailed view of components present within thespecific components of this embodiment of the present invention. Itshould be understood that this and other arrangements described hereinare set forth only as examples. Other arrangements and elements (e.g.,machines, interfaces, functions, orders, and groupings of functions,etc.) can be used in addition to or instead of those shown, and someelements may be omitted altogether. Further, many of the elementsdescribed herein are functional entities that may be implemented asdiscrete or distributed components or in conjunction with othercomponents, and in any suitable combination and location. Variousfunctions described herein as being performed by one or more entitiesmay be carried out by hardware, firmware, and/or software. For instance,various functions may be carried out by a processor executinginstructions stored in memory.

Referring to FIG. 5B, sensor processor 506 contains a signal generator542, mobile device interface 544, and data storage component 546. Thesignal generator and data storage component are identical to signalgenerator 430 and data component 434 in FIG. 4B. Mobile device interface544 interacts with mobile device 512. This interaction 548 may includethe sending and receiving of data. In addition to sending the generatedset of signals, the mobile device interface may also send errormessages, status updates, or other relevant types of information. Themobile device interface may also receive acknowledgments of executedactions and other information from the mobile device.

Mobile device 512 contains an EOG control application 550, whichincludes a sensor processor interface 552, a signal interpreter 554, aninput command generator 556, a command implementer 558, and a statedetector 560. The sensor processor interface handles all communicationsbetween the mobile device and the sensor processor. These communicationsmay include receiving signals from the signal processor and sendingacknowledgements of completed actions. The sensor processor interfacemay also store received signals in a data storage component 562, whichmay be any suitable data storage component as known in the art.

The signal interpreter 554 takes the received signals and interpretsthem as either eye movement or blink indications. Eye movement activity,which was initially measured by the EOG sensors, results in moving thepointer 540 to the area where the user is looking on the mobile devicedisplay 514. The signal interpreter sends updated pointer locations tothe display window interface 564. Blink indications, which initially aredetected by the blink sensor, correspond to the user clicking on aparticular component present in the mobile device display 514. If aclick corresponds to an operation to be performed on mobile device 512,then the signal interpreter sends the appropriate information to theinput command generator 556. Click activity could also correspond to theuser desiring a change in settings for the EOG application, in whichcase the signal interpreter implements these changes accordingly,updating the display if necessary.

The input command generator 556 receives information from the signalinterpreter when the information indicates that a user desires aparticular action to be performed on the mobile device. The inputcommand generator generates the appropriate input command for the mobiledevice. This may be accomplished by referencing a set of input commandsavailable for the mobile device stored in data storage component 562.The generated input commands may also be stored in data storagecomponent 562.

The command implementer 558 receives input commands from the inputcommand generator and implements the command. Depending on the inputcommand, this might include accessing or updating a data storagecomponent 562, sending display updates to the display window interface564, or updating the current running processes 566. Examples of acurrent running process include incoming or ongoing calls, accessingvoicemail, or any other process that a mobile device might engage in.The state detector 560 monitors the state of the mobile device andgenerates updates for the EOG control application 550 including updatesfor the menu bar 530. State update information may also be sent to thesensor processor interface, which communicates it to the sensorprocessor.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the present invention, where the sensorprocessor and other components are mounted onto a wheelchair. Wheelchair602 may be any type of wheelchair used by a user of the presentinvention. Sensor processor 604 is mounted onto wheelchair 602 inaddition to transmitter 606, power source 608, and light source 610. Thesensor processor and transmitter were discussed in previous figures.Power source 608 may be any source of power for the EOG componentsincluding battery power. Light source 610 may be an LED light or similarlight that indicates when the EOG components mounted to the wheelchairare powered on. In an alternate embodiment, components 604-610 arecontained in a belt pack.

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram for a method used by the computer-readablemedia of the present invention. Method 700 begins with step 702 when eyemovement is detected. In step 704, the eye movement, which may be in theform of voltage readings and blink indications, is encoded into a set ofsignals by the EOG processor. These signals are transmitted by the EOGprocessor to a receiver in step 706. Once the signals are received, theyare converted into mobile device input commands (708), which are thencommunicated to the mobile device in step 710.

FIG. 8A depicts a diagram for a method used by the computer-readablemedia of the present invention. The method begins when a user 802 movestheir eyes (804). The array of EOG and blink sensors detects thismovement 808 and sends (810) the corresponding voltage readings and/orblink indications to the sensor processor 812. The sensor processor thenencodes the voltage readings and/or blink indications into a set ofsignals 814, and communicates (816) them to a host computer 818. Thehost computer receives the set of signals and converts them into theappropriate input commands (820) for mobile device 822 as discussedpreviously. Once the input commands have been generated, the hostcomputer communicates them to the mobile device 824.

FIG. 8B is a continuation of FIG. 8A and begins at step 826. In step826, mobile device 822 receives the input commands from the hostcomputer and executes them accordingly. Once the commands have beenexecuted, an acknowledgement is generated 828 intended to give hostcomputer 818 updated information regarding the state of mobile device822. This information may include what operations the mobile device hasperformed or is performing, what the mobile device is displaying, whatoptions are available to the user in the current state, and similarinformation. This information is then communicated 830 to the hostcomputer 818. The EOG control application running on the host computerthen uses this information to update its display window as discussedwith regard to FIGS. 4A-B 832. Once the state updates are complete, anacknowledgement may be sent to the sensor processor indicating theexecuted activity 834. The sensor processor then idles until the nextinput from the sensor array 836. In an alternate embodiment similar tothat depicted in FIG. 5, the host computer 818 is omitted, and allapplicable operations performed by it are preformed by mobile device822.

FIG. 9 depicts a flow diagram for a method of initializing the device ofthe present invention. The method 900 begins when the components arepowered up in step 902. This step may also include starting up the EOGcontrol applications resident on the mobile device and/or host computerif applicable. Once powered up, the sensor processor begins searchingfor the sensor array in step 904. If the sensor array is not detected906, the sensor processor sends an error message to either the hostcomputer or mobile device where that message is displayed for the user908. If the sensor array is detected, then the sensor processor sends analert to set up the host 910. If the host detects the alert 912, thenthe EOG control applications may perform initialization procedures instep 914. In the embodiment where there is a host computer, theseinitialization procedures may include establishing communicationsbetween the mobile device and the host, and the host receiving an updateof the state of the mobile device so that the EOG control application onthe host computer may reflect this state in its display. After the hostand the control applications have finished their initializationprocedures, all components will idle until a user input is detected 916.Returning to decision step 912, if the host does not detect the setupalert sent by the sensor processor, then the host will display an errormessage 908.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as wellas components not shown, are possible without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present inventionhave been described with the intent to be illustrative rather thanrestrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisanmay develop alternative means of implementing the aforementionedimprovements without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Notall steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in thespecific order described.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electrooculographical control device foroperating a mobile device, the device comprising: one or more pairs ofelectrooculographical sensors that, when positioned around an eye,detect eye movement, wherein said eye movement indicates a desiredaction to be performed on said mobile device; a first processor, coupledto said sensors, that encodes said eye movement into a set of signals; atransmitter that is operable to communicate said set of signals; and areceiver that receives said set of signals and that converts them intocommands for controlling said mobile device.
 2. The device of claim 1further comprising: at least one blink sensor that, when positioned inclose proximity to said eye, detects eye blinks, wherein said eye blinksindicate a desired action to be performed on said mobile device.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein a first pair of electrooculographical sensorsincludes a first electrooculographical sensor that is placed in aninterior position relative to said eye and a secondelectrooculographical sensor that is placed in an exterior positionrelative to said eye, and wherein a second pair of electrooculographicalsensors includes a third electrooculographical sensor that is placed ina superior position relative to said eye and a fourthelectrooculographical sensor that is placed in an inferior positionrelative to said eye.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said one or morepairs of electrooculographical sensors are affixed to an eyewear frame.5. The device of claim 1, wherein said one or more pairs ofelectrooculographical sensors are affixed to a removable frame that maybe clipped on to an eyewear frame.
 6. The device of claim 1, whereinsaid transmitter is wireless.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein saidreceiver is coupled to said mobile device.
 8. The device of claim 1,wherein said receiver is coupled to a host computer, which is coupled tosaid mobile device.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein said host computerpresents a display that indicates a current state of said mobile device.10. The device of claim 1, wherein said first processor is worn on abelt.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein said first processor is affixedto a wheelchair.
 12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediahaving computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing amethod of controlling a mobile device by eye movement, the methodcomprising: detecting said eye movement based on information from one ormore pairs of electrooculographical sensors, wherein said eye movementindicates a desired action to be performed by said mobile device;converting said eye movement into a set of signals; communicating saidset of signals to a receiver; receiving said set of signals andconverting them into a set of mobile-device commands; and communicatingsaid set of mobile device commands to said mobile device.
 13. The mediaof claim 12, wherein the communication of said set of signals iswireless.
 14. The media of claim 12, wherein the communication of saidset of commands is wireless.
 15. The media of claim 12 furthercomprising: receiving an acknowledgement from said mobile deviceindicating that said desired action was performed.
 16. One or morenon-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useableinstructions embodied thereon for performing a method of controlling amobile device by eye movement, the method comprising: presenting adisplay that indicates a current state of said mobile device; receivinga set of signals from one or more pairs of electrooculographicalsensors, wherein said set of signals represents a user's eye movement,which indicates a desired action to be performed by said mobile device;generating input commands, which implement said action based on said setof signals; communicating said input commands to said mobile device;receiving an acknowledgement from said mobile device indicating thatsaid desired action was performed; and updating said display thatindicates that said mobile device performed said action.
 17. The mediaof claim 16, wherein said set of signals also includes signals generatedby at least one blink sensor.
 18. The media of claim 16, wherein thecommunicating of said input commands is wireless.
 19. The media of claim16, further comprising: generating an acknowledgement indicating thatsaid mobile device performed said action; and communicating saidacknowledgement.
 20. The media of claim 16, wherein said acknowledgementfrom said mobile device is reacting to said input commands normally toperform said desired action.